Sewing machine presser foot



Oct. 3, 1961 Filed March 28,- 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

' DAVID SILBERMAN BY M a ATTORNEY Oct. 3, 1961 D. SILBERMAN 3,002,477

SEWING MACHINE PRESSER FOOT Filed March 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. DAVID SILBERMAN AT Togugy States The present invention isdirected to a sewing machine presser foot, and more particularly to asewing machine presser foot having a pair of gauge bars which may bereadily pivoted from a position in which the gauge bars are juxtaposedto the instep of the presser foot to a position in which the gauge barsare above the instep of the presser foot.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel sewing machinepresser foot.

-It is an object of this invention to provide a novel sewing machinepresser foot adapted for sewing concealed slide fasteners.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel sewing machinepresser foot adapted for sewing concealed slide fasteners on a pluralityof tapes without the necessity of turning the presser footor the slidefastener tapes around end-on-end when going from one slide fastener tapeto another.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it 'being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of applicants novel A presser foot. V

FIGURE 2 is anend view of applicants presser foot. FIGURE 3 is a partlycross-sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 2. g

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of applicants novel presser foot showingthe manner in which it is to be used. I r

FIGURE 6 is a front view of applicants novel presser foot showing themanner in which it is to be used-.-

FIGURE7 is a front view of applicants novel presser foot showing themanner in which it is to be used.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, where. like numerals indicatelike elements, there is shown in FIG- URE 1 a perspective view ofapplicants novel sewing machine presser foot.

The applicants presser foot is designated by the numeral 10. The presserfoot includes an upstanding body portion 12 having an angled arm 14.Attached to the free end of the arm 14 and perpendicular to the bodyportion 12, there is provided a foot 16 having a rounded toe 18. Thefoot 16 is provided with a plurality of aligned needle holes. The needlehole 20 is axially disposed intermediate the side portions of the foot16. The needle holes 22 and 24 are in the form of notches on the sideportions of the foot 16. It will be noticed that aten the needle holes20, 22, and 24 form a straight line perpendicular to the axis of thefoot 16.

, A cylinder 26 having an axial bore 28 is mounted on the angle arm 14in any convenient manner such as soldering. It will be noted that thelength of the cylinder 26 corresponds to the Width of foot 16 and thebase of body portion 12 (see FIGURE 4). A pin 34 having threaded ends 36and 38 extends through the bore 28. It will be noticed that the outerdiameter of pin 34 is slightly smaller than the diameter of bore 28. Apair of gauge bars 40 and 42 are provided, with gauge bar 40 beingmounted on pin 34 on one side of the bodyp'ortion 12 Patented Oct. 3,1961- and gauge bar 42 being mounted on pin 34 on the other ing the pin34. A plurality of nuts are threaded onto the threaded ends 36 and 38 ofpin 34 so as to maintain the elements in assembled relation.

Since the gauge bars 40 and 42 are provided withv a hole 41 which is oflarger diameter than the pin 34,

the gauge bars 40 and 42 may be pivoted in a plane parallel to the axisof the foot 16 to the position shown in phantom in FIGURE 2. Theprovision of a resilient means such as springs 52 and 54 enable thegauge bars 40 and 42 to be moved closer to the instep or side portion ofthe foot 16.

It will be noted that the inner surface ofeachgauge bar is tapered asshown at 45 on gauge bar 40 and at 47 on gauge bar 42. When the gaugebars 40 and 42 are in their lowermost position (see FIGURES 3 and 6),the gauge bars are in planes which are parallel to the planes of theinsteps of the foot 16. It will be noted that the tapered portions 45and 47 are the closest portions to the insteps. At the ends of cylinder26 on the upper peripheral surface thereof, shoulders 30 and 32 areprovided. Shoulder 32 cooperates with inturned flange 48 on gauge bar 40to limit the pivoting movement of gauge bar 40. Shoulder 30 cooperateswith inturned flange 50 on gauge bar 42 to limit the pivoting of gaugebar 42. It will be noted that the innermost end of inturned flange 48,for example, is spaced from surface 49 on cylinder 26 so that gauge bar40 may be moved toward and away from foot 16. v

The body portion 12 tapers upwardly and is provided with an offset arm56.

to be moved in a direction perpendicular to the sewing machine support60 is conventional and need not be described in detail.

As shown in FIGURES 5, 6, and 7, the applicants novel presser foot isparticularly adapted for sewing concealed slide fastener tapes to afabric so that the slide fastener tape is concealed by the fabric andgives the impression of a sewn seam. The use of concealed slide fastenertapes has become increasingly popular in the textile industry. In orderto have a concealed slide fastener tape, the line of stitching betweenthe slide fastener tape and the adjacent fabric must be as close to theslide fastener elements 72 as possible. As the slide fastener tape 70 issewed to the fabric 68 and moved along during the sewing process, thefree end of the tape 70 flaps in the breeze caused by movement of thematerial. The flapping of the free end of tape 70 interferes with theoperator of the sewing machine and pervents the sewing of a straightseam on a mass production basis. To eliminate this problem, a pair ofneedles 74 and 76 are utilized. Needle 74 cooperates with needle hole 22to sew the slide fastener tape to the fabric 68 as close as possible tothe line of slide fastener elements 72. Needle 76 cooperates with needlehole 20 to sew the slide fastener tape 70 to the fabric 68. As is wellknown in the art, the slide fastener tape is sewn to an inner ply of afabric so that Mounted on the offset arm 56; is a conventional structureincluding slide 58 and thumb- It will be noted that the shank per-- theseams are not visible. Thus, it is to be expressly understood thatfabric 68 represents the inner ply so that the seams sewn by needles 74and 76 will be concealed.

' The applicants presser foot is utilized in the following manner;

The inner ply of a fabric 68 is placed on the needle plate 66 with oneedge of the fabric being directly in line and underneath one instep ofthe foot 16. As shown in FIGURE 6, the gauge bar 42 is pivoted upwardlyby grasping the tab 46 and pivoting the gauge bar 42 about pin 34. Aslide fastener tape 70 is placed between the presser foot and the fabric68 with the slide fastener ele ments engaged with the instep of the foot16. The gauge bar 42 is pivoted downwardly so that the slide fastenerelements 72 are between the tapered portion 47 of the gauge bar 42 andthe instep of foot 16. Sinceneedle 74 cooperates with hole 22 at theinstep of foot 16', the seam holding the tape 70 to the fabric 68 willbe as close tothe slide fastener elements 72 as possible. While needle74 is sewing a seam adjacent to the fastener elements 72, needle 76 willbe sewing a seam which is located intermediate the fastener elements 72and the free edge of the tape 70. It will be noted that while the needle74 is sewing a seam along the fastener elements 72, the fastenerelements are maintained in an upright position between the taperedportion 47 on the gauge bar 42 and the instep of the foot 16.

As the needles 74 and 76 are sewing a seam, the tape 70 and fabric 68are moved longitudinally away from the presser foot. When the entiretape has been traversed, it is not necessary to turn the presser foot orthe tapes endon-end before sewing the tape 78 to the fabric 68.

In order to secure the tape 78 to an inner ply of the fabric 68, it isonly necessary to move the presser foot in a direction perpendicular tothe sewing machine support 60 as shown in FIGURE 7. When the slide 58has been moved to a position where the shank of the thumbscrew 62 is atone extremity of the slot 64, the instep of the foot 16 will be directlyabove the leading edge of the inner ply of fabric 68. Gauge bar 40 ispivoted about pin 34 by raising the tab 44. The tape 78 is positionedbetween the sole of foot 16 and the inner ply of the fabric 68 with thefastener elements 72 in an upright position'parallel to the instep ofthe foot 16. The gauge bar 40 is then lowered and sewing of fastenertape 78 to the inner ply of fabric 68 may then be commenced.

It will be noted that needle 76 is now cooperating with needle hole 24to sew a stitch as closely as possible to the fastener elements 72.Needle 74 is now cooperating with needle hole to sew a stitch which isintermediate the fastener elements 72 and the free edge of the tape 78.

As the sewing commences, the tape 78 and fabric 68 move in the oppositedirection until the entire length of tape 78 has been traversed.

Since the gauge bars 40 and 42 can be moved closer to the foot 16, itwill be noted that different size fastener elements may be employed onthe fastener tapes. Thus, the applicants'presser foot is versatile inthe range of fastener elements which can be accommodated.

When the fabric 68 is utilized in a garment the mating leading edges 80and 82 will cooperate to conceal the slide fastener. Since the tapes and78 are sewed to an inner ply of the fabric 68, they will not be visibleand the mating of leading edges and 82 will give the impression of asewn seam.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A sewing machine presser foot comprising a body portion, a footconnected to said body portion, a cylinder connected to said bodyportion above said foot, a bore in said cylinder, a pin extendingthrough said bore, a pair of gauge bars, each gauge bar being spacedfrom the foot and pivotably secured to said pin, a flange on each gaugebar extending toward the foot, a shoulder on each end of the cylindercooperating with each of the flanges for limiting the pivoting movementof said gauge bars, tabs on each gauge bar extending in a direction awayfrom the foot, and a plurality of aligned holes in said foot.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality ofaligned holes includes a hole in said foot intermediate the instepsthereof, a notch on one instep, and a notch on the other instep, theaxes of said notches and said hole being in a line perpendicular to theaxis of said foot.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 including a spring surroundingthe pin on each side of the cylinder, each spring extending between oneface of the cylinder and the adjacent gauge bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS488,073 Iversen Dec. 13, 1892 1,918,643 Heck July 18, 1933 1,943,203Chudner Jan. 9, 1934 2,671,422 Tamburro Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS168,486 Austria June 11, 1951

